Crucible-furnace.



W. S. 'ROGKWBLL GRUUIBLB FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.10,19OS. A 935559950 Patented Aug; 3l, 1909.

A Homey W. S. RCKWELL. GRUGIBLE FUENCE. APPLICATION FILED Do.1o.19os.

Pateniao Aug. 31, i969.

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s. R0".RMLL= GRUCIELE FURNACB,

APPLICATION FILED DEG.10,1908,

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT orifice.

WALTER S. ROGKWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO W. S. ROOKWELL COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, VALTER S. RoCKwnLL, of New' York, in the count-y of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crucible-Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact de-v scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled' in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in crucible furnaces and more particularly to the furnace shown and described in my application No. 443,432 filed July 14th, 1908.

In the'furnace disclosed in my pending application, the combustion chamber'is to one sideof the crucible chamber, the latter being in open communication with the combustion chamber. While this construction is admirably adapted for small crucibles for melting small quantities of brass or other metals, I have found that when using a large crucible, or when melting the more refractory metals such as nickel, steel, etc., it is.necessary to have a more intense heat than can be obtained by a single burner at one side, and as great an en' velopmentof the crucible by the tiame as possible. This I have accomplished by providing the furnace with tWo combustion chambers, located'on opposite sides of, and

in open communication with the crucible chamber.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my improved furnace. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 4 a view in vertical transverse section through the crucible chamber, and Fig. 5 is a view in horizontal section.

1 represents a base carrying the legs 2, whichy are provided at their upper'ends with bearings 3 for the trunnions 4 and 4a of the furnace.

The furnace is of oblong Shape as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 with rounded ends and sides, and is made up of a bottom 5, and an outer shell 6, the latter extending up to the top castingto which itis bolted or riveted. The oblong casing, thus constructed, isprovided with a double lining 7 of fire brick, and is provided in its central section, or crucible chamber 8 withl a pedestal 8a grooved on the top as at 9, to permit the heat to pass under the crucible, and is also Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled December 10, 1908.

CRUCIB LE -FURNAGE Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

Serial No. 466,835.

provided with the shoulder 10, which supports the lower end of the crucible, and prevents the latter from ,sliding forwardly during the operation of tilting the furnace.

The combustion chambers 12, are, as shown in Figs. 3 angl 5, located on opposite sides of the crucible chamber 8, and in direct communication therewith. These chambers 12 are narrower' than the crucible chamber, with their top ina plane below the plane of the top of the crucible chamber, thus forming a vsupport for the top of the crucible, and by which the latter is held and supported when the furnace is tilted, the Walls of the furnace forming this top support for the crucible, are corrugated as at 1 3, the corrugations' forming tlues through which the spent gases pass.`

The crucible chamber is provided at its lower end with the lighting opening 14 normally closed by the removable vplug 15.

The shell of the furnace is' provided, as

previously explained, 3vith the trunnions 4 v and 4a. The trunnion 4a is provided at its free end with the Worm wheel 15a, which meshes with a worm on shaft 16, carrying bevel pinion 17 meshing with pinion 18 on shaft 19, the latter carrying hand Wheel 20. By rotating the hand wheel the furnace may be tilted in a direction to discharge the contents of the crucible 1,1 through the discharge spout 21, and by rotating the hand wheel 2() in the opposite direction, the furnace will be restored to its original upright osition. The opposite trunnion 4 is hollldw for the passage ofthe fuel supply pipe 22. rllhis pipe passes through thc elbow of the air supply pipe 23, and through trunnion 4,

and out of the latter intermediate the furvided within the air supply pipe, or Within the hollow trunnion 4., with a slip' joint so as to permit that vportion of the pipe carried by the furnace, to move with the furnace. The air supply pipe which also leads to both burners 24, is provided with a sli joint connection at 25, so as to ermitlthat portion of the pipe connecte with the thus prolonging the life of the latter.

burner to move with the furnace. The .burners Q4 are connected to the fuel and air pipes, and t snugly within openings in the Vtop casting of the furnace, which openings communicate with bell shaped openings 28,.

in the top lining of the furnace, one over each combustion chamber. With this construction the fuel will be vaporized, commingled with the air and intensely heated and ignited 'before entering` the combustion chambers, where the fuel is thoroughly consumed. The blasts being downwarcI lengthwise the intensely heated combustion chambers, all the oxygen will be consumed thus producing a practically smokeless furnace.

The Crucible l1 is the ordinary graphite Crucible in which the metal to be melted is placed. This Crucible may be provided with a cover for protecting the contents from oxidation, and with a spout 30 conforming in location to the spout in the furnace. The furnace is also provided with a cover 31, which may be provided with suitable lever mechanism for `aising and lowering it.

The Crucible chamber 1l is as shown, directly. between` and in open Communication with both combustion chambers, and the Crucible is of less diameter than its chamber and is located centrally therein, there is an even distribution of heat on. all sides of the Crucible. The location of the burners at the tops of the combustion chambers, gives the longest possible time for thethorought mixing of the heat producing elements, and complete combustion before such elements, and particularly the oxygen of the air, can come in contact with the crucible, At the same 'time combustion being practically Complete by the time .the fuel elements have reached the bottom of the combustion chamV ber, the greatest amount of heat is developed at that point where it is most needed, while the spent gases land clean upper part of thelatter.

By the use of two burners and two comf bastion Chambers, so located that the flames come together in the Crucible chamber, a more intimate mixture of the fuel and oxygen of the air is obtained resultin in more rapid combustion and consequent y a more intense heat. This intense heat also has a freer access to all sides of the large crucis flame passing upv and around the crucible, serve to heat the.

my invention, hence l would have it under# stood that I- do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but,

Having fully described my invention what I claimA as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

i. A Crucible furnace comprising a body having a chamber for the crucible, anda plurality of combustion chambers in open communication with the Crucible chamber, a burner located at the top of each Combustion chamber and projecting downwardly to dis charge into its chamber, and means for tilting` the furnace.

2. In a furnace, the combination with a body having a Crucible chamber and a plurality of combustion chambers communicating with the crucible chamber, the Crucible chamber having an opening near its bottom, of a burner located at the top of each combastion chamber and discharging downwardly into its chamber.

3. In a furnace, the combination with a body having three Communicating chambers one of which is open at the top, a Crucible located in the open top chamber, a Cover for closing said opening and means for handling said Cover, of a plurality of burners dis` charging into the other chambers and means for tilting the furnace. h

Ll. In a furnace, the combination with a body having a Crucible chamber, and two combustion chambers, the crucible chamber being intermediate the two combustion chambers and communicating with both, of a burner discl'iarging into the top of each Combustion chamber.

5. In a furnace, the Combination with a body provided with a centrally located Crucible chamber having an open top and two combustion chambers located Ion `opposite sides of the crucible chamber and communicating therewith, the combustion chambers being closed at the top, of a. burner for each combustion chamber and means for tilting specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

W'ALTER S, ROOKWELL. Witnesses:A1

'Ii-roMAS Gr. TURNER,l Fiumi; ALFRED CAnnoUN. 

